Lilly

Also how would you say  for example " fossilised in tourbe for 5000 years" I know its cheeky but I have tried the translation sites vbut they don't work with this!! xxxxxxx

Thank you for trying Clair I was kinda hoping you would be on line to help with this one as I have tried everywhere to get it translated to no avail. We are doing a Marche nocturne artisanart tomorrow night and my friends can't help me with the name of this wood so do you think if I used the term chene petrifie people might understand that it is fossilised in tourbe????

Its a bit of a cunundrum but as it found in the bogs (turb) in Ireland where it has been for over 5000 years it is bordering on fossilsed whilst not quite as it is still carvable what would you call it Clair so that a French person might understand it ?

Can anyone tell me what Irish bog is in French please, I think it could be Chene petrifie but this seems also to mean oak that is left in water for a very long time ie 50 years but I'm not sure if the same terms applies to 5000years It would help actually if anyone knows a good web site in French that has all the wood species in it. Thank you in anticipation!!

I don't know if this helps but I have a solid fuel Rayburn bought here in France etc. We have got a pump on the in bound pipe and it is gravity fed to the tank which has to be slightly higher than the cooker it self . I have no understanding as to why you have to have a attick tank to feed the Esse as is it not an open sytem with an expansion tank, on the Rayburn it only tops water up if the there has need to add water to the system ie over boiling and out through expansion tank never happened yet! With the Rayburn the hot water heats the coil inside the hot water tank and thus heats the water for washing etc.whilst the water in the coil is part of the central heating system of radiators. I am definatly not a plumber and I am only assuming that the esse may work ina smilar way to the Rayburn as it is likely to be a simple system This system is as per Aga's Scematic for the Rayburn.  I hop this has been some help. Could Esse not help in their export department.

As far as I am aware it is the SVL that will tell you what size of fosse to have as there are rules that if you have a four bedroom /10 bedroom house it has to accomodate the amount of people that could actually be using the house not the amount of people that are currently using it and remember you will need to get a certificate of conformatity from them so it pays to get the calculation right as well as what drainage and where it is to be situated. We found the Fosse/ water authorities to be very helpfull in guidance for installation so if you are doing the work yourself they would be your best bet in contacting them not a contractor.

On a slightly different note as I notice you have been spending time in Africa you might be familiar with this, a friend kindly gave us a chunk of Stink wood and tonight I have been turning a small piece and it is beautiful to turn and has taken a lovely finish, but I did this without wearing proper clothing and as OH is in Blighty this week he's not here to nag about H&S and it was an impulse  that I started this and couldn't be bothered to change consequently have got stink wood dust down my clevage and thats not nice and I think it is an irritant well it is irritating but I can't find any reference on the net whether it is an irritant or not officially, whilst not suggesting that you will be experianced with dust down the clevage problem do you know about stinkwood????

I would like to clear something, I for one did not flee the UK in a disalusioned state of rose tinted glasses of France being safer, I give myself a little more credit of intelligence than that. I have lived in many places and very varied ones from the centre of London to remote islands and several cities in between so I have a broad education to the life that can be led in such places for the youth, middle aged and elderly. We lived in a quiet well to do village just outside Cambridge, local villagers not particularly friendly in fact we did'nt socialise or really know anyone in 10 years but that is because we were working and I guess the same for others in the village, but we did have a drug dealer next door and all the perifery that goes with that so that was a pleasant experiance. On the island we lived on there were many a strange character,one who took a shot gun to his baby twins and another local who just like to shoot quite literally at Johovahs or any one else for that matter and the list of other incidents too long and scarey. Things learnt in all my travels 1) you never escape the rat race just the same rat different race track                                              2) no where is a safe place you just have to live your life as you want to live it and just bear in mind that there are always bad people and fate always plays a bad card at some time. I have 2 teenage sons that have now had their teenage years in France and whilst they have grown up in a more sheltered environment  have enjoyed some of the more simple things in life and don't crave a binging night out and a scrap with their mates and they don't find the thought of hanging round the shopping mall  in the slightest bit interesting  but they do meet up with their mates to do what NORMAL decent teenages do with girl friends, mates and neighbours  and with repect for the afore mentioned. We have had a robbery recently and I have in my life experianced more than my fair share of crime/violence whatever and am in no allusion to the fact that crime sadly happens everywhere, the truth is however for US we are in a better place here ( not a grande ville, decent neigbours and a crime rate bearable)to spend a certain part of our childrens upbringing with better examples for their life and if we can  give them that respite before they take on the world then I'm happy with that . We don't need the sick mentality of some fractions of the UK ( or for that matter the so called knife / gun cultures of the world!) to give our family young and old a balanced view of life because what is going on there is not normal behavior at all don't kid yourselves that this is what life is about and  except it as what has become the norm  and put it down to just media hype as one day you may find it is too abnormal for you too.              

Not Mice but 2 Rats and 5 years ago, however  we got forms from Defra and a vets certificate stating good health and a breef discription of apperance!! It was not translated into French but it was pretty obvious. We went via the tunnel and had no problems, but were told by Defra if we wanted to bring them back it could be difficult, problem didn't arise  as we didn't go back. There is a Fancy Rat and Mouse association they send Mice and Rats of the pedigree type and of course travel for competitions etc or at least they used to it may be worth hunting down an association in England and see what the do. Good Luck

I am for my sins a Londoner and I have a thought that the point is being missed  a little, it is the type of crime that is indicative of a sick culteral shift in London and probably a few other big cities in the UK, it appears to me that it is the Gang, Rap, knife/Gun culture that if not serverly delt with will result in more tragic young deaths and become even more like the American gang culture that they are so desperately trying to emulate. Forgive me for mentioning but you can't use Wandsworth as an example of a safer London, in my day and I lived in Barnes and I'm not THAT old Wandsworth was a bit ruff, nowadays it is another "posh" area Gordon Ramey lives there for gods sake (ok say no more!) It is the youth I fear for with the binge drinking and this Gang culture I am so glad that I brought my young sons here, yes to the country side and I know I cannot protect them from everything but I wish I could,  I'm glad they are in their late teens not having the examples they would have had drummed into them as if were normal Saturday night behavior not only as a potential victim but also for being convinced that this is what they all do now.

That is beautiful table Postie your friend will surley be delighted. On a slightly different note where do you get your woods from? We can get all that basics but anything like what you have mentioned has been a bit elusive so far we are also looking for exotic burrs etc can you help? XX

One of the best bits of advice I can give you is it is resonably normal when you buy a house or land is to have a geomet ( sorry I not sure of the spelling!) they will come and outline your bounderies and put in what is called a bourne ( marker) this will then show your neighbour where your land is and you can then have a discussion .  I know from experiance that a plan cadstre isn't always accurate especialy on old properties and your bounderies are not always where you think they are. In our case house pre Napoleon, was drawn  on the plan cadstre with the wrong bearing (too far north west) upshot, the chemin rural was considerably nearer than the newly agreed extension plan and the chemin that we thought was the chemin rural because everyone uses it is actually ours as the original is 3 meters further away but inaccessable due to land slip and undergrowth. So spend the extra money and get a geomet to put in your bourne and then everyone knows what they are playing with. XX

We are with them, and would say also not a  business bank, last year they managed to lose an english cheque for 58 days it was England RBS who helped me located it and tell the bank here how to find it in the mean time we had nothing to live off and no overdraft was allowed even with proof of funds being in the opposite account,we incurred all sorts of charges from accounts that could not be paid by dd the only reimbursemets were the ones directly charged by the bank. At one time no one could help us sort out the problem because the director was on a quinze jour holiday!! To be fair I don't have experiance of other banks here so cannot really compare. They used to be apparently a savings bank rather than a general bank so this may account for the lack of business accumen. The logo of the squirrel is cute though.   XX

You got me thinking there for a moment so re checked the recipe and definatly no cornflour. The recipe is from the reader digest "The cookery year" a very well known book I also checked my bible Cookery in Colour by Marguerite Pattern 1967 and whilst the quantities of Lemons to sugar are slightly different again no cornflour, I do make the first recipe reasonably frequently and always works well so don't worry have confidence,it can take a little time for the mixture to start to thicken so just be patient and it will go. Good Luck it will be fine trust me. XX

Dear Gengulphas, Thank you so much for this recipe, I made Pickled walnuts a couple of years ago with a recipe I found on the net and a few additives from the back of a well known jar of said walnuts, I was dissapointed with the result far too vinigary and over salty and i don't know anyone that has a good recipe till now! so all be it a bit late I'll get pickling this weekend, incidently what type of vinigar do you use as I like malt for pickling but can't get large quantities easily. For the Frenchies out there use them in the same places you would eat cornichons and superb with cheese, I have used them in a Venison casserole fantastic I would imagine Sanglier would work also. XX

Here we  go! Grated rind and juice from large 2 Lemons ( unwaxed and not treated idealy) 3 eggs (use free range bio if poss as the colour is a beautiful natural yellow) 4oz butter 8oz sugar Beat eggs lightly and mix in the lemon rind and juice, butter and sugar. Place in the top of a double boiler or a bowl over hot water, heat gently, stirring occasionaly until sugar has dissloved and as its starts to thicken  keep strirring gently ( it does thicken up quite a bit when its cold) Pour into sterilised jars and cover should keep for up to a month in a fridge . I have strained it before for those who are adverse to little bits in the curd!) Incidently I have just come across the difference between Curds and Cheeses apparently a Cheese involves stone fruits such as Damsons Quinces or fruits with strong flavors, the finish is very firm and will keep for 2 months as they have no eggs. Curds have eggs are of soft spreading consistancy and will only keep for a month because of the eggs Happy cooking    

As long as you don't mind if I omit the wine in coq au vin!! Oh yes and 5 spoons a day! I have a recipe if you would like it Clair it is very traditional and the real thing and not a micronde in sight XX

Hi,  Lemon Curd/Cheese do indeed both have butter in them and it is an essentisal part of the recipe or else I would imagine it would be a lemon meringue filling. Wonderfull on hot toast or on some pain viennoise or over icecream, try it in one of teamed ups recipes for marscapone tarts as the filling and of course the bit in the middle of a victoria sponge. Don't forget damson cheese and the fore mentioned gooseberry curd, apple cheese? Lilly      

I think I feel a name change coming what do ya think of Nana Lil?

There's a Lilly who joined in 2007 and another lilly who joined this year I think, Oh and me Lilly from 2005 second time round previously known as Fee joined 2004, its getting late and I'm seeing Lillies and woolly willy's,silly billies and frilly Banana's Oh I need to lie down now!! XX Lilly or Lilly or could it be lilly or even lillie

There seems to be three all spelt the same and in the same case of lettering, I only noticed when I had to re read a post whilst going all hot all over thinking I have no memory of this, dementia setting in I feared. I'll have a bash at putting on an avitar thingy so at least then I can recognise myself and any other hot flushes will be something else entirely.   XX Lilly?

Ta very mooch, OH would probably agree there!!

Is it normal to have more than one member with identical names? I think I have found three of us, either that or I have a serious identitiy problem. "Who said that?" Lilly

Hi Jammy, I would definatly keep your child in a French school as she is so young, you say shes has been in the school since April this year? If that is the case then that is no time at all to give her adequate chance, she will go through various stages of learning her new  language including showing her frustration but that will pass, bear with it and she will have a new language  very quickly be patient. My personal feeling is that by sending her to a Int school at this stage will halt her progress and it will be yet another change and what a waste, submersion is at her age the best method. If you speak a good level of French ie: Gramaticaly correct, its not an accent thing, then by all means talk to her at home but if not then leave it to her school and friends. At her age perhaps use every day during the holidays a DVD in French that you are happy for her to watch, Aristocats, tick & tac (Chip & Dale!!) that sort of thing and have the radio on so that she hears general chatter even if she does'nt understand it subliminaly she will pick up language and of course if you can have playmates over all the better. We have used all these methods ( and a lot more!) as our children were older when they came here,  it took a year or so at their age but you will find that she will settle and become truly bi lingual very quickly by quickly I mean a 6 months you will see a significant increase in her vocabulary with a correct accent and pronunsiation and after that fast progress. I hope this helps good luck  

For what its worth, I remember when a large salmon farming company wanted to put cages in a nearby sea loch, us divers who new the terrain new it was very rich in wild life and a stunning under sea world, we also realied economicaly on the products that we harvested from this area and the fishing boats that fished these waters also. There was a huge objection from the "incomers" and any locals were suduced by the offers of increased empoyment and other benefits to the area, at the same time oil researcers were entertained in the area and again many promises of employment. 2 years after The salmon farm was fed daily by a bloke from the mainland who lived in a caravan (1 job) the destruction to the sea life was unimaginable ( thick grey stinking sludge underneath the cages that no wild life could be sustained the chemical impact was catastrophic to the mollusc population due to the hormone in the feed) it also lost the wild life that was essential to us to make our living ( scallops) the fishing boats didn't bother any more as the fish and prawns etc move out due to the pollution. Net result (no pun intended!) there were more jobs lost than created. The point being is that offers of employment are not the only consideration and usually are only a bait to get locals on side only to be let down at a later date. I can also remeber a property tycoon who bought a nearby inn who's desire was to change the inn into a hotel and develop it into a marina for the yachting community with special shower facilities and increased employment for the area After p***8=g off the local regulars as they wer'nt the desired type who then no longer patrinated the Inn,  the staff he paid as and when he felt like it and due to travel costs to a remote area on the minimum wage could not afford to work there, the whole idea crumbled. Unless this couple are in it to provide employment on a charitable basis I think this business model is too big for the region it is to be set in and I question that the amount of resources required to keep this running for the few years that it will take to get it off the ground ( if it does) on the scale it is proposing could well be unimaginable figures as I say it may be that this couple just what to put back into the region employment and pay on an on going basis as a purely charitable gesture, which I take my hat off to them as there can't be that many folk who are either able or charitable enough to do that.